Congress walkout over shifting of govt office to actor's building

The Andhra Pradesh government's decision to shift an office to a building owned by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's brother-in-law and film star Nandamuri Balakrishna created a furore in the state assembly.

Raking up the issue in the assembly, the Congress today walked out of the House.

Protesting against the government's refusal to appointment a committee to go into the shifting of the inspector general of stamps and registration office from a housing board complex to the star's building, Congress Legislature Party leader P Janardhana Reddy said this was in contravention of the rules. It was done to benefit Balakrishna, he alleged.

Reddy said the government is now paying a rent of Rs
159,464 per month as against Rs 75,000 paid when the office was
situated in the housing board complex. He alleged that the files
relating to the shifting of the office moved at a fast pace.

After the Congress members staged a walkout, Revenue Minister
T Devender Goud said the issue has already been discussed in the House. The Congress is
trying to tarnish the chief minister's image in a planned manner, he said.